She can’t do this alone. If she’s going to do it at all – Snart’s stupid goddamn book keeps harping on about a support system.
And Trish, Christ, Trish can’t do it alone. Bruce was right, Jessica’s been taking her shit out on her and her alone for far too long.
So, despite the fact that things are shakier between them than ever, Jessica sends Natasha a text message.
(✉ → nat): actully, i do ened soemthing(✉ → nat): meet me uptwon? say 3?
She sends the address to one of Trish’s favorite coffee spots. Natasha replies simply. ‘I’ll be there.’
Jessica’s stomach is in knots before they even walk inside. She hasn’t told Trish why they’re there either, and her sister keeps trying to guess.
“Are you pregnant?” she asks, tone cool. (She’s still not happy about the Registration.)
“Christ, no,” Jessica says, as the barista slides them their drinks. “I just – there’s someone I want you to meet.”
Trish’s eyebrows shoot up. “A guy?”
“You’re terrible at this.”
“A girl then?”
“Trish…” Jessica sighs, sipping her scalding coffee. Trish tuts in disapproval when she winces at the burn, but says nothing. They take a seat at a corner table, and Jessica spends the next few minutes pretending she’s deaf.
The door chimes as Natasha walks in, and the whole cafe turns their head. Probably would, even if she wasn’t one of the only Avengers to sign the thing. The redhead’s eyes narrow as she spots Jessica and Trish. She walks over with a pensive expression, but doesn’t sit.
“Jessica,” she says flatly, her tone no warmer than it has been the last few days. Her eyes slide over to Trish. There’s a flicker of recognition between both of them.
Jessica nods. Takes a sip of coffee to steel herself, almost out of habit. It doesn’t work as well as whiskey. (Christ, that’s why they’re here, she remembers painfully.)
“Trish, Natasha. Black Widow, Avenger, and the one I punched in the face,” she says, flippantly. Both of them give her a look, but it just spurs her on. “Natasha, this is Trish. Former pre-teen popstar, current #1 radio talk show host. My sister,” she adds, a tiny smile flickering across her face.
“TV star,” Trish corrects. She holds out a hand, and Natasha takes it. They’re both careful, cool, collected. Essentially everything Jessica isn’t.
“I heard your interview with Steve,” Natasha says. “It was good. Fair.”
Trish nods “Thank you. He told his story, I was just there to make sure it was heard. Please, sit.” She pushes out a chair. “I’d love to hear yours sometime, if you’d be willing.”
Natasha hesitates, but only a second. “Maybe someday,” she replies simply. Her gaze turns to Jessica. “I assume you didn’t bring us here to set up an interview”
Jessica shakes her head. “Not exactly. Good for the ratings though,” she adds with a look at Trish. Her sister isn’t having it. The look on her face clearly screams get on with it, Jess.
She sighs. Toys with her cup. Looks everywhere but at the two of them. She feels so small in comparison to the two of them, wilting under their increasingly impatient gazes, and Christ she just wants one goddamn drink to make this easier, maybe two, or three, or a bottle –
“I’m an alcoholic,” she says finally. No matter how many times she says it, it’s always a struggle. Always feels like a dam is bursting in her chest. “Natasha made that pretty clear the other night,” she says, glancing up at her. Natasha’s face is stoney, but softer around the edges than usual. Even with the fading bruise on her jaw. Trish’s face is crestfallen.
Both look a little disappointed. A little hesitant. A little proud.
“You’re both pissed at me, I know that,” Jessica says, the word tumbling out of her mouth now. Her grip on the coffee cup is reaching dangerous levels. “And yeah, you have every right to be. I don’t – I shouldn’t ask for it, but I can’t – I can’t do it alone,” she says finally.
Trish places a hand over hers. Maybe the only person in the world who can make that gesture seem comforting.
Natasha is studying her intently. “You’re serious about this?” she asks.
Jessica shrugs. “I don’t know,” she says, because there’s no point in not being honest. Not with these two. “That’s… That’s why I wanted you two to meet,” she says, biting her lip. She sighs, then barrels on. “Trish, you know me best. And Natasha, you don’t let me get away with my shit. So I thought, I don’t know, between the goddamn two of you, maybe – maybe we can figure something out.”
She doesn’t know what else to say, so she just raises the coffee to her lips again. It still doesn’t help the way whiskey would.
They’re both staring at her. Looking for something. But she has nothing left to give.
Finally, Trish turns to Natasha. “She trusts you, and that’s enough for me,” she says. “And she’s the most important person in the world to me, so I’m in this. With or without you. But it might be easier with.”
Natasha nods. “It won’t be easy,” she says, a hint of warning in her tone.
Trish laughs. “Never is, with her.”
Natasha actually smiles at that. “Good point.”
“I’m still here,” Jessica says, slumping in her chair.
“We know,” Trish says, teasing lightly. Jessica isn’t sure if she wants to hug her or kick her under the table. She turns to Natasha. “Welcome to Team Get Jessica Jones Sober,” she says warmly.
“I’ve joined worse teams,” Natasha muses. She stands, goes to order her own coffee. “We’ll talk options when I return,” she promises.
Jessica regrets this already.
She’s supposed to be hopeful, she knows that. But the idea of disappointing both of them simultaneously is already making her itch for a bottle. Might as well give in to the inevitable. She wants to run from the cafe, and down an entire bar’s worth.
“I’m proud of you,” Trish says, pulling her out of her fantasy. Jessica scoffs. “I mean it. That’s hard to do, I know,” she says pointedly.
Jessica just shrugs, picks at the cardboard sleeve on her cup.
“I was right, by the way,” Trish adds, sipping her own. “It was a girl.”
“You’re terrible.”
“And you love it,” Trish says. Her eyes flick to Natasha at the counter. “I like her,” she adds.
“Knew you would,” Jessica breathes. “Just had a feeling.”
Send me a ؟ for a random thought kate has about mj.
Kate, sitting on the apartment couch, watching MJ from afar. I wonder if I suggested ‘seven minutes in heaven,’ if I’d get the chance to make out with her again... Ya know, just to be super sure and stuff.
Send me a ♪ for a song that reminds me of kate/wanda and my favorite lyrics from it.
Black Magic by Little Mix“Take a sip of my secret potion // I'll make you fall in love // For a spell that can't be broken // One drop should be enough”
Send me a ♥ for one thing kate likes about nat.
JUST ONE??? Kate loves that Nat never gives up. No matter what life throws at her, Nat is two steps ahead at all times. She always seems to know what she wants and where she’s going and how to get there. Kate would kill to be that sure of herself.
